Great Spotted Kiwi

Interactions With Others

Interactions With Others

How do Great Spotted Kiwis interact with
others?

Humans are blamed for the downfall of Great Spotted Kiwis,
along with all the other species of kiwis. We have invaded their
habitat and ruined it. We cut down forests and put up buildings and
other things that we find "more important" than saving the habitat of
many species.

Because we are the cause of their downfall, we are also responsible for
their recovery. There are currently movements in New Zealand to help
preserve the habitats of the Great Spotted Kiwi. There are also
sanctuaries that Great Spotted Kiwis have been introduced into. The
efforts of the Kiwi Recovery Programme, a tri-partite initiative
between the Department
of Conservation, the Bank
of New Zealand, and the Forest
and Bird Protection Society have raised public awareness about the
threat of extinction to the Great Spotted Kiwi, as well as all other
species of kiwi. They have thousands of volunteers working to save the
Kiwi.

Kiwi are very strong and often very bad tempered. Also, the Great
Spotted Kiwi are the largest of the species of kiwi. Adult kiwi use
their razor sharp claws for defense. They are extremely territorial,
and protect their "patch", which can be rather large, by calling,
chasing the intruder out, kicking it, or using their claws. When
aggrevated, they make noises that can range from a growl to a hiss,
along with a loud bill-snapping, which is bound to scare at least the
smaller animals away.
Great Spotted Kiwis are pretty protected from airbourne predators
because of their coloration (dark brown to gray) and their hidden
lifestyles. They out lived their main enemy, the giant eagle, which is
now extinct. The giant eagle is a distant ancestor of the bald eagle,
which is now the nationl symbol for the USA. Because it cannot
fly, however, kiwis have no real defense, besides kicking and clawing,
from threats on the ground. Their main predators are stoats, ferrets,
weasels, possums, pigs, dogs, cats, and humans.

How do they interact with eachother? In a very densely populated forest
in New Zealand, maybe 4-5 Great Spotted Kiwis will be found in a square
kilometer. They are very territorial. Once finding a mate for life,
they protect their burrow and area around it fiercely. If another kiwi
enters their area, they will attack, using their legs and beak.
"Ownership" of an area does not generally change until the male dies.

What else is in the area? Chlamydomonas reinhardtii can
live in the mountain tops, where Great Spotted Kiwis can also live. Cyathus
striatus, or Bird's Nest Fungi, can inhabit the
burrows of the Great Spotted Kiwi.